One's Own Army ( Part 4 )

In this way, the famed prophecy came true not once but twice. Therefore, in this era, the moment the powerful Chandra vansh of the central plains went underground and especially when the Chandra died suddenly, people couldn't help but bring up this prophecy which repeats itself in ominous cycles! Every time this happens, the entire world falls into chaos. How can anyone want any part of it? Especially if this boy is that proclaimed 'half moon'…if he kills this boy, one part of the prophecy will remain untrue. That means the rest of it won't be true either!

Bhargava, who was sculpted like a stark blade of truth, paid little attention to Ashangi's reaction. As though he had always been in motion, he suddenly appeared in mid-air and released a weapon that had no substance. But even though it had no substance, the weapon rended space into three prongs, as though he was using a trident made of void particles. It hit Kush's sword, shattered it and then hit him in the chest, throwing him twenty feet while cracking his rib cage.

Kush only felt that he had been hit, he didn't know how or when. It was as if he met with natural disaster. But his fury didn't reduce a bit. 'Let's go again!' he yelled even before he landed on the balls on his feet, starkly feeling the pain in his chest. He ignored the blood that he coughed up and rushed forward as though possessed by a demon. This person really enraged him.

Bhargava didn't back down either. Taking a stance, he guarded against the unexpected counteroffensive from the boy. Having clearly felt what he broke, he didn't expect the child to get up for twenty days. He was clearly mistaken. Kush did back away usually when he felt his injuries were too big, but this time, he was giving it his all. Somehow he felt uncomfortable when people related him to a line from an ancient poem or a void without a face. Though he was only seven, he was still sensitive. He had always felt like in this world, he doesn't count. Like he was a bug, an error, an undefined entity and a careless mistake made by god. Back in the village, he always blustered about becoming king, because a king was a real existence. No errors could be made where a king was concerned. He wasn't insignificant no matter how useless he was. Kush always believed that his existence was to be taken seriously, and he wanted to fight for it! None of the men in the mercenary troop went easy on Kush, but none of them were this harsh. This man broke his bones on first contact because his existence was just that insignificant to him. And Kush couldn't tolerate that!

Before Bhargava could blink, the tiny tot actually covered the distance he had been thrown and rammed headfirst into him. It was like an egg hitting a wall though. This man's lightly toned body was as though it was literally made of stone. Kush recoiled from impact and fell like a pile of broken bones on the ground. He couldn't feel half his body.

'That's enough!' For the first time ever, Kush saw his teacher lose her composure, and she rushed over.

She didn't breezily walk. She actually ran.

But this person who looked just like a normal man without the least similarity in body to a warrior flicked his finger lightly and a wall of void stopped his teacher in her tracks.

At such a young age, even in the most precarious situations, Kush never felt fear. One reason was that Ashangi was not an ordinary woman. And she was always watching over him. But now, she was stopped just like that. Kush's hand that was holding a dagger shivered. Unconsciously, he retreated backwards, feeling as though he was being swallowed whole by that man's gaze.

'Little boy…I am going to kill you,' he said as though informing him of a tidbit from the news. Those words buzzed in Kush's head for a few seconds. He could not blink even though his heart threatened to burst. He felt like if he closed his eyes, he would never lose his life before he opens them again.

'No…!' his teacher screamed, her body emitting a kind of fire that he hadn't seen before. It was blue, almost invisible. More like a distortion in space. It burned that invisible wall he put between them, but very slowly. 'If you touch him…' she threatened, pointing her finger at that man. For a second she didn't know what to threaten him with. She obviously couldn't hurt him. 'If you hurt him, I will kill myself!' she screamed, a madness in her eyes that young Kush couldn't begin to fathom. But basically he knew that she will really kill herself.

The man who already lifted his phantom weapon against Kush's neck stopped. He was looking at her, but he wasn't. It was as though some past memory within him was stirred, but he could only feel it and not remember it.

Looking at his confused expression, Ashangi stopped trying to force her way through and took a stance herself. She stood very straight and very still. 'If you try to hurt him, I will immolate myself and die right here!'

When she finished saying those words, her body released tall flames instantly, like a natural gas vent catching fire at a crack in the earth. The flames soared to the skies illuminating a distance of five hundred meters in every direction, alarming the caravan.

The man's softly luminous eyes that were calm like ocean waters expanded all of a sudden. His pupils contracted. 'Wait!'

He ran to stop her, but Ashangi's flames only got more violent.

'Wait! Ashangi…I love you, alright? Don't die yet.'

The man's confession was as plain as flat bread, but it made his teacher's eyes flicker. Her face lost its fleeting wildness. She turned solemn and didn't speak. However, the flames still soared.

Ashangi heard that this man Bhargava is gentle, generous and forgiving. But she also knew that these were not the reason why he gained his fame. He was exceedingly powerful and ruthlessly destructive to things he doesn't like. How did she forget that?! It was just…looking at that handsome face of mystical perfection, she forgot herself. She made an error of judgment about his reaction to little Kush's challenge because she was attracted to him!

This was the reason why she decisively burned her desire now and wouldn't stop even if the flames reached her soul.

Looking at her look so decisive, the man fell into a restless trance. He didn't know what to say to make her stop. Being very singular of thought, he was actually, also very innocent. As would be evidenced by what he said next, 'Ashangi, I don't like this boy! I feel like killing him. Even if I know I love you, I can't stop myself…You know I can't!'

This person's destructive rage is known throughout the lands, of course she knew. Once he starts destroying something, he wouldn't stop till it was shredded to pieces. But the way he explained himself was marvelous! Ashangi nearly lost composure.

What made the ridiculous situation even more laughable was that a shrill voice interrupted him just then, with equal contempt, 'Teacher, don't marry him! I don't like him either. Wait for my bones to set. I'll definitely beat him…' And then this voice added ponderously after a moment, 'Or you can just marry me when I grow up.'

Ashangi's flames lost their intensity after she heard that. She was unable to maintain her rage. But the moment she saw the man noticing the change, she lit her inner energy forcefully, to restart the fire.

'You stupid boy!' the man raised his hand on the boy who was already plastered to the floor, 'Look at what you did!'

'You're the one who did that!' Kush argued back fearlessly. He already lost his fear when Ashangi stood up for him. He didn't know she was harming herself. All he could see was that she looked very powerful.

Feeling flummoxed by the situation, the man knitted his brows, threw one eye at the teacher another at the disciple. With a noisy sigh and a helpless shrug, he said to Kush, 'Take one more hit from me and I'll admit defeat.'

Looking at Kush look at him warily without answering, he explained, 'Do you know she is burning her inner energy right now? Do you know what that means?'

Kush looked at the man blankly.

'It means, when the flames reach her soul, she will die. Instantly.'

'Hit me!' Kush cried, using his tender hands to clutch Bhargava's wrists, as though prompting him. There was a never before seen determination in his eyes that exploded instantaneously. 'I won't die!' he promised. His big eyes were watery and innocent like a lamb's. But even in his desperation, he remembered his objectives. If he were to die, it would all be in moot. His teacher would die too.